It is known to control light sources by means of sensors and control devices like switches that communicate with each other and the light sources via a communication network. The sensors can be used in feedback loops, to measure whether a received light intensity differs from a target value and send adjustment messages to the light sources to change emitted light intensity according to the difference. Switches coupled to the communication network can be used to receive user commands to control the light intensity and transmit messages to the sensors to establish the target values.
The installation of this type of lighting system involves implicit or explicit formulation of a lighting plan that defines the light sources that should be switched on and off in response to different control devices. Furthermore, when feedback is used, the lighting plan needs to define the sensors for which target values are changed in response to a control device and the light sources that should be controlled in a feedback loop based on these target values. Such lighting plan implicitly reflects spatial relations between light sources, control devices and optionally sensors. Usually a control device in one room will only be used to control light sources in that room, or only light sources close to the control device within that room.
Determining such an implicit or explicit lighting plan can be a complex task, which involves setting network addresses in the light sources, sensors and switches so that sensors and switches will send messages to selected light sources and sensors. Solutions have been proposed to simplify this task, for example by automated address setting when a user pushes dedicated buttons on a lamp and a control switch to indicate that the switch should control the lamp. But in a system with many lamps this still involves considerable human effort.
WO 012131631 describes an autocommissioning of a lighting system wherein configuration parameters such as addresses related to the location of the lighting sources are set automatically. Each light source detects and identifies its closest neighbor using light intensity measurements. Next the light sources one after the other set the configuration parameters relating to the location of their closest neighbors. When the light sources are arranged in a grid, their location in the grid is thus automatically determined. The resulting configuration parameters can be used to produce location dependent commands.